Restaurant owners filed a class action lawsuit yesterday for losses caused by official restrictions, according to a celebrity architect behind the effort.
Dubbed Ratsadon Fong Rat, or “people suing the government,” the lawsuit was filed by 39 Thai restaurant owners and two legal groups: Thai Lawyers for Human Rights and the Thammasat Law Center, according to architect Duangrit Bunnag.
“It’s a class action. If we win, restaurants, bars, cafes across the country will immediately receive fair compensation from the government,” he wrote online.
The group filed its lawsuit at the Civil Court Ratchadapisek.
The lawsuit seeks THB50 million (US$1.5 million) damages caused by last-minute changes in policy, shortened business hours and dine-in restrictions.
Thailand introduced class action suits in 2015. Prevailing in the suit would mean every owner would receive a portion of any court-ordered compensation.
Despite the government’s optimistic aim of reopening the country by Nov. 1, its battle with the virus is far from over, with only 24% of the total population fully vaccinated. In Bangkok, it’s 46.9%.
